


Dead men don't wear plaid

by Captainmintyfresh



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Brett and Lori live, Bretts pov, M/M, Resurrection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-03-10 01:57:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13494392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainmintyfresh/pseuds/Captainmintyfresh
Summary: It really doesn't take that long for Brett to figure out why Theo decided to bring him and Lori back from the dead, all he needs to do is look for two seconds at how Theo softens when Liam enters a room to  know that it's not really about him or Lori at all but about the way Liam's face had lit up when he opened the door to find his two dead friends on his doorstep.Brett thought that for a guy who managed to kill Scott McCall Theo seemed to be fairly hopeless in...well...everything. He would be lying if he didn't say he found the whole situation hilarious though. Once the smell of his own rotting flesh is washed off his skin at least.





	1. Resurrection 101

If Brett had ever been asked what he thought coming back from the dead would be like he'd have said painful. It would be like healing, where you can feel each agonising second of It, you'd come back slowly, first with an ache then a scream, you'd feel bones clicking back into place or bullets crawling back out of the skin. He'd imagined you'd be stuck, trapped in your dead body until it was healthy enough to start again. He'd imagined it would be slow, that by the time you were blinking your eyes open you'd know what was happening.

He'd been wrong.

It had been quick, too quick, with a sudden gasp of breath so deep it burnt his lungs, his eyes landing on Lori before he'd finished breathing out, dead and rotting barely a few feet away. It had been with unfamiliar green eyes blinking at him, with pink lips curling into a smirk and a name he'd only heard in stories.

Pleas had passed his lips, bargaining and horrified as he dragged himself towards his sister. Everything he'd heard about Theo was bad. He'd _killed_ Scott, he'd manipulated Liam and torn apart the McCall pack. He'd worked with the dread doctors.

But it didn't matter. Not when he was offering the chance to bring his sister back. He barely remembered the flash of headlights from the car that killed them, he didn't know why he was at the Nemeton, or why Theo Raeken had decided he needed he and his sister alive. Coming back to life wasn't slow. It was done in the blink of an eye, it left him no time to think and Brett knew why Corey and Hayden had gone with Theo all those months ago. There was no time to think, there were no answers, there was just Theo, calm and collected and offering them life.

Brett had watched the needle touch his sisters throat, dip beneath the skin and hadn't cared about the consequences, or what Theo would ask him to do in the future. Not when Lori's eyes were fluttering open and her heartbeat was thrumming in his ears.

Brett didn't ask questions, not yet, not when Lori was breathing and clinging to him with tears in her eyes. Theo talked anyway, sitting back against the edge of the Nemeton fingers tracing the cracks in the bark as he spoke, ignoring the tearful reunion happening at his feet all calm and casual like bringing two people back from the dead was no big deal.

Theo didn't say that much, he didn't explain everything. He said the hunters were gone, the anuk-ite dealt with and Gerard dead. That they'd be safe..ish but even that was enough of an info dump to leave Brett's head spinning.

“Come on.” Theo said after what felt like hours. “I'll drop you off at Liam's.”

Everything felt off. Slower than usual, his limbs moved clumsily over tree trunks as Theo walked along in front of them, twirling car keys around his finger. Brett's senses were on overdrive, every small crack of a twig or crunch of a leaf in the forest leaving him jerking around to look for danger, every gust of tepid wind biting at his skin like ice.

Theo's car smelt like stale air and fear and left Brett's empty stomach churning. Theo drove in silence, eyes meeting his in the mirror every so often before they'd dart back to the road and Brett would be left swallowing past the lump in his throat that formed when he tried to figure out what Theo freaking Raeken would want with him and Lori.

The car pulled to a stop at the end of Liam's road. Theo didn't move, just leant forwards resting his elbows on the wheel and eyeing the mirror once more. He gave a small nod to the door, a silent 'get out' that they both understood. Lori moved first, stumbling onto the pavement eye's flickering up and down the street like she was waiting for something to jump out at her. Brett watched silently as her body slowly lost its tension and her eye met his through the window, her lips twitching in a barely there smile before she tilted her head to the sky, eyes roaming the stars and sparkling like fireflies were alight within her. The smile grew, breaking across her face as she let out a soft sigh, blonde hair blowing in the breeze.

“Thank you.” Brett's voice didn't sound like his own. It came out in a smokey crackle as he swallowed past the lump once more. Theo's eyes met his in the rearview mirror again as Brett forced his gaze away from Lori, every nerve ending telling him he shouldn't, that he needed to watch her, that he needed to get her somewhere safe. Far away from Theo and any stray cars.

“Don't tell them it was me.” Theo said, voice smooth as his lips twisted into an overly confident lopsided smirk.

Brett grit his teeth, hating that Theo knew right now he'd do anything he was asked to do. He dropped his chin in a jerky nod that only made Theo's smirk grow. He turned, sliding over the seat and out of the car onto the pavement, Lori's hand found his almost instantly. Brett's gaze flickered from the blue truck to Liam's house, the living room light glowed warm and welcoming across the road.

“Oh and Brett.” Theo drawled. Brett shifted, body moving in front of Lori's as Theo's head tipped out the window. “Remember to look both ways before you cross, this was a one time deal.” Theo pulled away from the curb speeding away without another glance back at them.

“Lets go.” Lori said softly, voice the same unused crackle Brett's had been. Brett nodded. Hating that he did indeed look both ways before letting Lori cross and even then he pulled them both over the street at a sprint that made his muscles ache.

It didn't take long before they were at Liam's door. Brett's eyes shifted down the road once more, looking for any sign of Theo or hunters or....anything, watching them, waiting for him to drop his guard.

His eyes snapped to Lori as she picked a leaf out of his hair with an apologetic smile.

“You look terrible.” She said gently. Brett snorted, a tender smile breaking onto his face as his eyes ran across Lori's pale skin and dirty hair.

“You too.” He said, picking at the end of her hair with a grimace. “I call first shower.”

“You need it. You stink.” Lori said, eyes moving to the dark wood as she shifted on her feet. “You think he'll faint?” She asked, moving a hand to the door.

“God I hope so.” Brett said, eyes flickering to the road again. Lori's fist rapped against the door.

 

 


	2. Reunions

Liam didn't faint, unfortunately. Brett had worried, for a moment, that Liam was going to kill them when his shoulders had tightened as he opened the door and his eyes flashed, fangs popping down as a growl rumbled out of his face.

They disappeared the moment Brett had rolled his eyes at the gesture because, really, he hadn't been brought back to life to have a little shit like Liam kill him an hour later.

“It's really you?” Liam asked, voice breathy as his shoulders drooped and his gaze flickered between the two off them. Brett wasn't too sure what it said about his personality that a simple eye roll was enough to prove to Liam that they weren't in fact hunters in disguise or whatever the hell else he seemed to think when he opened the door.

“No shit Dunbar.” Brett scoffed. “You gonna let us in or-” Brett managed to hold back a yelp, barely, when Liam tossed himself at both of them, Lori didn't, a startled scream passing her lips as the three of them tumbled to the ground thanks to Liam the human bowling ball.

He blinked up at the stars, concrete cold beneath the back of his ripped shirt and face twisting as he realised that Liam freaking Dunbar was hugging him. He turned slowly catching Lori's eye over the top of Liam's head, a laugh bubbled from her throat, no doubt thanks to the incredulous expression he knew he had to be wearing before she was shifting, arms winding around Liam. Brett groaned in pain as Liam put most of his weight on Brett's side as he yanked Lori closer to his side and babbled in a way Brett couldn't even hope to understand into her hair. He shifted, hoping to roll out of the freaking puppy pile only for Liam's arm to tighten around his neck.

Brett turned back to Liam slowly, raising an eyebrow at the manic grin on the boy's face, he could see Lori, head tucked beneath his arm looking just as ridiculous.

“You're alive!” Liam exclaimed.

“Really? I hadn't noticed.” Brett drawled. Liam moved again, knee slamming painfully into Brett's groin as he wrapped around him like an octopus laughing into his neck. Brett grimaced, curse words flying out of him as he tried to shove Liam away.

“Dude. This is..Dude!” Liam cackled. Brett saw Lori grinning over his shoulder and rolled his eyes, returning the hug quickly which only succeeded in getting Liam to cling tighter.

“Alright, get off me I need a shower.” Brett huffed, shoving Liam away. The beta hit the floor beside him still grinning, head flicking between him and Lori.

“I don't...You were dead! How are you...Do you want food? Do you, are you hungry? Are you zombies?”

“Honey?” The three of them turned their heads to the door. Mrs. Geyer hovering in the door way, eyes flickering between the three of them spread across the floor curiously.

“Hi, Mrs. Geyer.” Lori said, waving a hand eagerly. “May we come in?”

“Did he just say you were _dead?_ ” Mrs. Geyer squeaked. “Wait, I'm sorry, is that not okay to ask? I'm still, I'm new to the whole-” She did a gesture that mimicked fangs.

“She knows about you?”

“Everyone does.” Liam said. “Come on.” He hopped up, holding a hand out to each of them. Brett took it with a small sigh, letting Liam haul him up. “They can explain after a shower, right Mom?”

*

The shower felt like fire, like resurrection, like he was a phoenix and was coming back to life from a pile of ashes. The water washed over every inch of his body, sparking each nerve ending and leaving him gritting his teeth not to scream at how _much_ it was. How even though he was alive it was like his body hadn't quite caught up to that fact until after he'd stepped beneath the warm spray. Woke it up so his long since empty stomach was growling and his nose was curling against the smell of death he was finally picking up on and the bone deep weariness of what he could only imagine came from too long being dead.

By the time he was picking his way out of the bathroom in sweatpants far too short and a shirt Brett was sure Liam had picked out of his dirty wash he felt better, his throat was slipping away from the 'haven't talked in forever' ache and his legs no longer held the mobility of a newly birthed deer. His mind recognised his body as his again in a way that he hadn't been able to really come to grips with on the drive over.

Still, Brett didn't tell Liam about Theo's involvement in any of the resurrection. He should, he knew he should but Lori was smiling and laughing and _breathing_ as Mrs Geyer forced the third cup of hot cocoa on her. So he couldn't risk it. Not yet, not until he knew what Theo wanted. Why he brought them back. If he'd hurt Lori if Brett did something wrong. Maybe his body was his own but he wasn't so sure about his mind. Not when he could feel Theo's words rolling through his brain.

He listened as Liam told him about everything that happened in the three weeks since they'd died. His story a lot more in-depth than the brief run down Theo had given them, he ate the food Jenna piled on their plates and let David poke and prod at him and Lori to make sure they were in fact okay and whenever Liam asked about the resurrection he lied his ass off without even a skip in his freshly beating heart and when he went to sleep, curled in a dusty guest room with Lori tucked close to his side and her heartbeat pounding in his ears, strong and steady and alive, it was without guilt.

*

He'd thought it would be a while until he saw Theo again, or at least, when he did that it would be away from the pack. Where Theo could convince him to do whatever the hell he wanted as payment for bringing him back.

Instead, it was the next day. The McCall pack sliding into the clinic to get a look at the newly resurrected siblings, Theo waltzed in five minutes late, resting back against the wall, arms crossed and eyes on the ceiling as if the tiles were far more interesting than anything happening in the room.

“I called him.” Liam said, cutting Malia off before she could even talk. Brett's eyes flickered to the chimera, brow furrowed.

“Why?” Brett asked. Theo's eyes slid across the room, slow and easy like Brett and Lori didn't have the power to ruin whatever plan he was brewing with a simple 'it was Theo.', Their eyes met. Theo's lips pulled in a smirk and he wanted to say it, to scream that it was Theo and slam Theo into a wall again and again and again until he explained what the hell he wanted. Brett turned to face Liam. “Last I heard Kira had killed him. For good reason.”

“That was like, forever ago. Liam brought him back during the wild hunt thing and then-” Mason started.

“He's been helping.” Liam huffed.

“He's still wondering why he's here.” Theo drawled.

“So..How are they back?”

“That's what this is about?” Theo sighed. “Your road kill springs back to life and you drag me over here to play detective?”

“We need to know what brought them back.” Scott said.

“And how am I meant to know that?”

“You know more about coming back from the dead than anyone else here. You brought Hayden and Corey back.”

“I got given a one time use syringe, not a book on necromancy. Lydia could tell you as much about resurrection as I could.” Theo said.

“Please Theo.” Liam said softly. Brett watched as Theo rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.

“I don't know how they're back, Liam.” Theo lied beautifully, his attention solely on the beta.

“We need to find out how and-”

“Why?”

“What?”

“Why do you need to find out how they're back? Never heard the phrase don't look a gift horse in the mouth?”

“Because people don't just rise from the grave.” Scott said. “What if there's a plan? Something bigger and worse than what we've dealt with and it all starts here. With them?”

“So what if it does? You gonna kill them again to stop it?” Theo asked. Brett shifted, moving in front of Lori slowly.

“No!” Liam and Scott blurted immediately.

“Then what's the point of figuring it out?” Theo asked. “It's Beacon Hills, there's always something coming and you idiots always somehow deal with it with a mix of perseverance, below average intelligence, flawed plans, and the power friendship or some shit-” Despite himself, Brett found himself snorting out a laugh. “-Right now you have two of your friends alive, why not enjoy it and deal with the monsters when they come rather than wasting time you could actually be happy worrying. Now that you've wasted my time with your 'oh no my friends are alive' problem. Can I go?”

“Wait, You want us to ignore the problem?” Scott said quizzically.

“Well, I don't really care what you do, but I want to ignore the problem. I have better things to do.”

“Really, like what?” Mason asked innocently. Were it anyone else to say it Brett was sure that it wouldn't be innocent, but Mason looked at Theo with open curiosity, waiting for an answer all too politely. Theo's tongue poked into the side of his cheek, his finger twitching almost unnoticeably by his side as his eyes narrowed.

“Just go, Theo.” Liam sighed, flopping over to rest his elbows on the table.

“Dude-” Scott started.

“What? If he doesn't want to help it's not like there's any reason for him to be here.” Brett felt his curiosity peeking when a small sound passed Theo's lips, barely even a breath, just a humorless huff as his head bobbed in a self-deprecating nod that no one else seemed to pay attention to. “Come on Scott, You know he'll just make snarky comments and argue with Stiles.” Liam said.

“We could always lock him up again until he wants to help.” Stiles started.

“Stiles.” Liam warned softly before he was turning his attention back to Theo who was all too quick to be drawn in by his gaze. “thanks for coming man.”

“Thanks for wasting my time.” Theo replied, cheerfully kicking himself away from the wall and leaving without as much as a look back at Brett, which, considering the fact he'd had his undivided attention since he entered the room was incredibly rude. Brett was fairly sure no one had ever managed to ignore him so thoroughly before when he was trying to catch their gaze.

He listened as Theo's footsteps got fainter, sniffed the air like he could somehow learn Theo's plan by the scent he'd left lingering in the clinic. The others moved around him, the buzz of conversation back as they returned to trying to figure out how the two were back unaware that the answer to all their questions had just strutted out the door. The only person who could tell Brett whether or not Lori was safe and if not, what the terms to the resurrection were so that he could keep her safe.

“Liam, I need five dollars.” Brett said.

“What, why? Are you okay?” Liam asked, inching closer, eyes wide with the same manic look Jenna had as she'd practically poured the sixth hot chocolate down Lori's throat the night before. Brett backed towards the door slowly.

“Fine, just wanna run to the shop, get some chips. Still kinda hungry after not eating for weeks.” Brett lied. He could hear Theo's footsteps faltering from outside, only for a split second but enough for Brett to know that he wouldn't exactly have the element of surprise when following the chimera.

“Oh, yeah, yeah of course dude!” Liam made quick work of freeing a note from his wallet, even so by the time he was pulling out a crisp bill Theo's footsteps had faded out of even Brett's earshot. “Want me to come?” He asked cheerfully.

“No.” Brett said, snatching the bill and letting his eyes shift to Lori “I'll be back soon, stay here.” She nodded and he took off, shoving through the doors and trailing after the boy who smelt like he bathed in pine car air fresheners.

“Hey! Hey Raeken!” Brett growled, snatching Theo's arm and yanking him back. “You owe me a damn expl-” Brett's back hit the wall before he could blink. It was ridiculous. He had almost a foot on the chimera and yet the second Theo's hands were curling into his shirt, pressing him back until the stones into the skin of his back Brett couldn't think of a dumber option than trying to fight. Not when Theo's eyes were on him, a storm hidden beneath the surface.

“I owe you?” Theo asked, low and amused. “Let's get one thing straight, road kill. You and your sister would still be dead if it weren't for me. If anyone has a debt to pay it's you and you should be thankful that I'm not planning on collecting. So show me a little respect or I'll put you back how I found you.” And that, that was the Theo Brett had heard so much about, the unapologetic asshole. It was nice, easier to deal with than the quiet smirks that left Brett feeling like he was missing ten pieces of the puzzle.

“What are you planning?” Brett asked, eyes searching Theo's face, ignoring the threatening flash of his eyes. “What do you want from us?”

“Nothing.” Theo said stiffly. “If I wanted something you'd know it. You and your sister mean nothing to me.”

“Then why bring us back?”

“Why do you care so much?” Theo retorted. He didn't give Brett long enough to reply, just stepped backward, hands shifting to straighten out Brett's shirt like they were old friends.“Go buy your chips, Road Kill, Don't want them to get suspicious, do you?”

“What happens if they do get suspicious?” Brett asked.

“You sure you want to find out?” Theo asked brushing some imaginary lint from Brett's shoulder, his lips tipped in a carefree smile even as ice ran through Brett's blood. “You're alive, Enjoy it, go back to your friends.” With that Theo walked off cockily, all but swaggering. Brett's hands clenched into fists, his teeth grinding as his forced himself to ignore the petty part of his brain begging him to follow Theo, to meet his bluff with a cocky smirk.

If he thought that he was the only one who'd face the consequences if he did actually piss Theo off he would. As it was, however, he just watched Theo leave.

“This isn't over.” Brett grumbled. Theo waved a hand over his shoulder jauntily and Brett could practically taste the smug satisfaction rolling off of him as he turned and stomped back towards the clinic.

 


End file.
